Unknown
by DinosaurHorcrux
Summary: When Lily Evans returns to Hogwarts for her 7th year there are many things she expects she will have to do: try to keep Potter away, figure out what's making Snape so sad and the stack of homework which is piling up. But, she didn't expect that a handful of letters could force her to get help from the very person she's trying to avoid - James Potter. Can words fool us all?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Lily grinned happily as she barged through the doors of the Hall, her stomach full with the delicious food of the first feast of the year. First years ran excitedly either side of her, giggling and talking with their newly appointed house peers. It seemed just days ago when Lily had been in their shoes, but of course it wasn't – this was her seventh and last year at Hogwarts, something she didn't like to think about. Because, as much as Hogwarts was a place where she was tested and pushed, it would always be her home. The very first place she had ever been truly accepted as who she really was – a witch.

"Lily!" A familiar voice shouted behind her, and immediately she swung her body around to see who spoke, knocking over a few second years as she did. The skinny and slightly greasy haired figure soon came into view, donned with the Slytherin green he adored so. Severus Snape, the first wizard she had ever known, and one of her closest friends. She took him in her arms as they were swarmed by the passing students, moving down the corridors to their houses.

"I didn't see you on the platform, Sev," Lily shouted over the rabble of the children, adjusting his skinny tie as she released him from her grasp. He shrugged his shoulders, looking sheepish, and Lily recognised the familiar flicker of guilt behind his dark eyes. "Oh. You were with your friends."

He nodded his head, averting his glance as the Slytherins broke away from the rest of the horde to their dorms. "Look, I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, Lily. I have to go." He patted her arm gently, before taking flight and soon disappearing in the crowd.

Despite being engulfed in a bath of people, Lily felt entirely alone once more as she walked to the common room. The changes she had noticed in Severus had been steady in their pace, but behind her back she heard him mutter "mudblood" to those who irritated him, just as his fellow Slytherins did. Since joining with his new group of friends he had darkened in his mood, and Lily felt as if the old Severus who had comforted her when she was sad and smiled whenever she did something as simple as say his name was lost somewhere beneath the dark sea of hatred that had been planted in him. For that moment, her feet clapping the stone floor without much thought, she was happy to indulge herself in the memories of her and Severus, but soon her mind was averted.

"Evans!" James Potter yelled, scaring a group of smaller children as he bounded for her. Immediately, she cursed her bright hair and was just picking up her pace to try and hide from the cocky boy, when her legs were swooped upwards from the ground and a firm arm was behind her back. Carrying her as if she was a baby, James grinned down at her, his eyes maddeningly ecstatic behind his glasses. "How was your summer? I missed you – I know you missed me too, of course – who doesn't miss me?"

Lily squirmed in his grip, trying to release herself as a group of Ravenclaws turned to stare. Soon enough, his cronies joined him at his side, smiling down at her as if it was completely ordainary for their best friend to pick up girls as they innocently tried to make their way to their common room. "Hello, Lily," Remus Lupin said, with a small incline of his head – both of his hands wrapped around a book. Sirius Black tilted his face so his was level with hers and winked, clapping James on the shoulder.

"You know, when I said try to catch her attention – I didn't mean literally catch her." Sirius mumbled, rolling his eyes and then smirking – causing a group of girls to giggle melodramatically. Peter Pettigrew stood behind him, quivering like a leaf in the wind. He had always been shy, and she always felt a strange pity for him whenever their eyes locked. His Gryffindor courage was buried deep inside, somewhere so well hidden even he didn't know where it was. But the Sorting Hat never lied.

"Let me go, Potter," Lily spat, narrowing her green eyes venomously at the boy who was holding her, "I am very tired, but not tired enough to use magic." Her hand lowered cautiously to her wand, which was being held in the pocket of her school skirt. But, before she could even touch the wood it had been whipped from her pocket by the pale hand of Sirius. Those two were like partners in crime, and even more so, when they laughed loudly together in unison. Finally, resigned to the fact she was at the boy's mercy, Lily lay still and closed her eyes, becoming unresponsive as James tried to taunt her into speaking.

Soon, the door to the common room was in sight, and she heard Peter call the password in his squeaky voice, and then she was shoved through the hole upon James' lap. His arm now only loosely latched around her waist, she took the opportunity to dive for freedom. Her knees met the warm, homely carpet of the Gryffindor's territory, and she swung herself to her feet just as the four of them came into the room.

"Sirius – my wand." She demanded, holding out her upturned palm to accept what was rightfully hers. But, just as the boy stretched forward to give it to her, James snatched it from his grip and twirled it around on his fingers. "Potter! Give me it!"

"Oh, I'll give you it-"Lily's lungs deflated with relief, and she neared him with her hand still held out to him, "- if you give me a kiss!" And with that he took Lily's small hand, twirling her towards his chest in a swirl of school uniform and auburn hair. He clamped her thin frame against his, smirking down at her before lowering his lips to her shocked face.

Finally, she snatched her wand from him as his eyes shut, and turned the point of her wand to his nose which was completely at his mercy. With a quick cry of "Petrificus totalus" and a sudden flash of light, James clamped his limbs together as if frozen and fell backwards as if made of stone. His eyes were wide, and his glasses had flown from his face into a crumpled pile by his head. The common room erupted with laughter – including his friends.

"You were asking for that one, Prongs," Sirius laughed, bending down to pick up his fallen friend with the help of Peter. The four of them trudged off, leaving nothing behind but an apologetic smile from Remus and the ghost of laughter which still took over the room.

Lily stormed to her dorm; her face reddened with rage, and whipped back the curtain of her bed. She was prepared to just flop against the covers and give into the strange set of feelings already floating around in her head, but instead she was stopped by a thick letter with purple inked writing she didn't recognise.

Little did she know it would change the course of her fate forever.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Lily awoke the next morning with a start and a pounding head ache. She didn't remember falling asleep, only the tangled web of dreams that had followed her into slumber. The memory of each nightmare was vivid and intense in her mind, not faded as they usually were: running through a dark, shadowy wood, screaming as she fell, her bronze hair a wild halo as she toppled forward. She recognised the parchment – still tucked within her fingers – but it had become crumpled in her fitful sleep. Her uniform was still attached to her body, equally as messy, and she soon realised that the rest of the dorm had left for breakfast.

She ran, fast as lightning, from the common room – her bag whipped up into her hands. With little time for gentleness she stuffed the parchment letter into her pocket and sprinted for the Great Hall. When she arrived Severus was standing uncertainly near the Gryffindor table, ignoring the shouts and insults he was receiving from James and his crew.

"Sev!" Lily cried, feeling exhausted. She was never one to sleep in, and it was having its toll on her already. Rushing wasn't something she enjoyed. She carefully flattened her hair down, straightened her skirt, and then made her way to the boy. He smiled at her widely, receiving a dark glare from James, and she quickly snatched up a piece of buttered toast before she took his arm and made their way to the dungeons. The Slytherins and Gryffindors had Potions together this year.

"Are you okay, Lily? You look a little… flustered." He said, with a sheepish expression. Lily took huge bites from the bread in her hand, and then wiped crumbs from her fingertips. Severus's gaze moved from her wide, green eyes to her practically empty bag. "Didn't you remember your books?"

Her bag was hollow, and Lily drew her hand up to her forehead. It was her first day and already she felt as if the life had been drained from her. "You go ahead, Sev. Save me a seat!" And for the second time that day she took off at a run, auburn her flying.

The dorms were eerily quiet when she returned. Light streamed in through the window, and cast beautiful scenery of the grounds. In the distance, she could see students preparing for their first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year, and her heart thumped as she thought of being late for her first lesson. Her trunk was still packed with clothes and textbooks, and after a moment of hectic searching and a stream of Gryffindor-coloured jumpers being chucked over her head, she soon found the book she was looking for. Without a second hesitation she shoved it into her satchel, and swung onto her feet.

At that moment, the parchment letter delicately lowered onto the floor as if being levitated as it fell from the wide pocket of her school skirt. Something jolted in Lily, and a feeling of turning and running hit her insides. What was wrong with her? It was just a letter – in fact, she could remember opening it yesterday evening, but the contents were a mystery to her. Just like her surprise sleeping fit.

With pale fingers she picked up the envelope – looking at the strange purple seal that had evidently been broken. As she pulled out the paper within, a puff of green smoke whirled into the air – but it was weak and dull, as if it had already been used to its full potential before. The smoke made Lily cough and made her eye lids droop ever so slightly, but as she stumbled against the beam of her bed to hold herself steady, she read the inked words on the aged paper:

"_Dearest Lily,_

_Why do you torment me so? This summer was like a hell for me, when I cannot watch you day and night, my little angel. You are so sweet in slumber. Forgive me for not reaching out to you sooner – but now, whilst I see your distress, my moral justice forces me to comply with the symphony of my heart._

_You loathe him, don't you, Lily? Both of them. Severus Snape and James Potter. I see how you watch them, how they treat you. They don't deserve you. I know what I would do to them if I could. I'd line the walls with their blood for hurting you. But I mustn't._

_I will speak to you again, soon, my sweet. And I'm sorry for the dust. It entrances the most beautiful of slumber – and I couldn't wait for you to drift off before I could see you in the innocence of sleep._

_Unknown."_

The paper fell onto the floor.

By the time Lily managed to compose herself, Potions was in full session. Students worked on their cauldrons, stirring bubbling mixtures and dropping ingredients into the black cauldrons. The strange scents in the classroom drew Lily's mind away from disturbing matters, and she soon found her place beside Severus. She couldn't help the shaking in her hands, as she slammed her books onto the desk and pulled herself into her seat. Severus was already well underway with the potion, tending to it as if it was as delicate as a baby.

"What are we making?" she asked, although the class was working in pairs and Severus would need little help.

"Amortentia – something easy for the first lesson." He muttered, eyebrows knitted in concentration. For a moment he glanced up at her, and immediately he dropped the ingredients in his hand onto the desk. "Is something wrong, Lily? Your eyes, they're all-"

Immediately he was cut off short as a ball of parchment smacked into the back of his head, forcing it to jolt forward, dangerously close to the open top of his steaming cauldron. He turned around with a deep frown, his face reddened from the heat, only to see James Potter grinning behind him.

"Snivellus! What do you smell in the pot? Oh wait, let me guess: mothballs, dragon dun, and greasy hair? Wait! I'm wrong, that's just what _you_ smell like." He burst into laughter, along with Sirius Black, and Lily turned her eyes onto him with a deadly glare.

"Just leave him alone, will you? Perhaps if you spent less time picking on others, James Potter, you would realise that you're not so perfect yourself." She spat, her cheeks flushing with the anger this boy could cause so easily. Remus and Peter stared at her with wide eyes over the shoulders of their two friends, but the fury Lily was feeling from her first day back was easily released on James. With a single noise of anger, she whipped her head back around – relishing in the silence of the four Gryffindor boys behind her.

"_Is_ something wrong, Lily?" Severus whispered, looking at her with concern. "You've been crying, haven't you? Your eyes are red." Absentmindedly Lily wiped at her eyes, hoping to hide the red on her skin. It was true, she had been crying. But how could she tell Severus about the letter she had found, when it spoke so horridly of him? Instead she just shook her head, and smiled at him carelessly.

"I just miss my parents, that all."

Lily hated lying.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two

The day dragged on slowly, but eventually classes finished and Lily was happy to return to the common room. She felt drained, although the lessons hadn't been particularly difficult. As soon as she entered – waving good bye to Severus from the portrait hole – she ran onto her favourite, comfy chair and greeted it like an old friend. It was her favourite spot, close to the fire so the heat off it radiated against her cheeks, with a small table so she could work easily on assignments from the professors. However, she had received no work for this evening, and so instead amused herself with writing a note to her parents.

The sounds of laughter and chatter were a welcome backdrop to her writing, and with swift curves of her quill the letter formed. She tried hard not to think about the last letter she had looked at, still trying to convince herself that the words were not real – or, if they were, that they were a stupid prank.

"Wait," she mumbled to herself, piquing no attention from any of her fellow Gryffindors, "a prank…" her eyes soon crossed the room, looking to the animated James Potter who was guffawing loudly with Sirius. His eyes blazed with the constant, irritating, amusement she had never grown used to in all his years of harassing her – it _had _to be him.

And she would not let him get away with it.

With a final swirl of ink she completed her note – adding all the details her parents needed to know of her safety – before sealing it in an envelope. Standing up swiftly, she stomped over to the group of boys, her eyes blazing as strongly as the common room fire.

"Potter – will you come with me, please?" she said, trying to make her voice sound as friendly as possible. The only way she could have a serious conversation with the boy is if he wasn't trying to impress his friends. "I need to talk to you. Alone." Sirius began to wolf whistle loudly, capturing the attention of the room, and Lily felt a blush blaze on her cheeks.

"I _told _you she'd eventually give in to my irresistible charms," James said smugly, rising out from the sofa he was sharing with Remus. With a mighty grin and raised eyebrows, he hooked Lily's arm with his own, bobbing his head to the side. "So, where are we going, darling?"

"The owlery – and don't call me that." Lily spat, but the other boys just laughed loudly at her protests. Quickly she stormed off for the portrait hole, removing her slender arm from his muscular one.

They walked up the west tower in surprising silence, and only when Lily moved to enter the owlery did James finally speak. He lounged lazily against a patch of wall which wasn't streaked with owl faeces, making sure that a section of his toned chest was showing as his T-shirt lifted up. "So, Lily, I know you wanted to be alone with me, but you really could have chosen a much more romantic location."

"Look, James, I'm not in a mood – what you did was a horrible, horrible prank." Lily started, setting her letter onto the leg of a Hogwarts owl as she spoke. She stroked its head without much conviction, and then helped it to the window where it soon flew off into the darkening night sky. She turned to look at the boy, whose eyebrows ere now furrowed and what she took for confusion. "The letter? The letter that was on my bed? I know you mentioned yourself in there so I wouldn't guess it was you, but please-"

"Look, Lily, I don't know what you're talking about." James said plainly, and for the first time Lily saw honesty and a serious calm painted over his face. Was this the real James? The one who didn't make a joke of everything and who actually cared about something? "What letter?"

"Someone left a disgusting letter on my bed. I just… I just _assumed_ it was you." The hurt in his eyes came apparent, and immediately Lily felt a painful hole sprout in her heart. Although, really, why should she feel sorry? He was the one who constantly went out of his way to irritate and harm her. She turned around, to gaze out of the window and avoid the tension his watchful eyes sent into the air.

"Lily, I would never try to hurt you. Not really." He said, and Lily hung her head, trying to hide the guilt she was feeling. She couldn't show herself as weak, not to him – he who took weakness and used it against anyone who owned it. "Are you sure it's not Sniv- I mean, Snape?"

"_What?"_

"I mean, he is a suspicious character. And everyone knows he has the hots for you." James said plainly, as if this was common knowledge. Lily turned defiantly, regretting ever feeling sad for James, and pounded her feet towards him.

"He does _not _fancy me, James Potter! Can't you ever take anything seriously? I'm sorry I accused you, but can you please leave me alone now, since you evidently cannot take anything seriously." Lily wasn't aware of how close she was to him until her rage brought her speech to a stop and her eyes were directly beneath his. For a moment he just stared at her blankly, his eyes narrowed behind his crooked glasses, and then with a single upturned twitch of his lips, he whispered seductively quiet:

"You look rather beautiful when you're angry." Lily released a groan of defeat, and barged her way past him to the door. But, before she could walk out he had grabbed her wrist and pulled him back towards him – similar to his stunt the day before. She immediately was flung against his chest, and was held there, but his grip was less dominating. He stared down at her with wide eyes. "Look, let me help you. You may think I'm good for nothing, but if you let me read the letter than maybe I can find out who sent it. Oh, and don't be mad, I was lying."

"Lying about what?"

"That you look beautiful when you're angry," James said simply, a small, genuine smile on his lips, "you look beautiful all the time."

The common room was cleared of living souls by the time they returned. Everyone had returned to their dorms or was sneaking out after dark in the corridors, which left the pair to talk by the fire. James read the letter with a strange expression on his face – as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh or tear up the paper in a fit of rage. Eventually, he set the parchment down on the coffee table beside him, looking at the faint green residue that still clung to the paper here and there.

"Well, whoever wrote that seems like a very nice person." He said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. Quickly he patted the dust from his fingertips into the flickering flames, setting off small sparks of blue in front of his eyes. "I especially liked the part '_I'd line the walls with their blood'_ – that was a nice touch."

"James," Lily said, placing a hand against her temples as she said his name. The tone in her voice snapped him to attention, and he signed with groggy fatigue – the letter had drained him as equally as it had drained her.

"Look, I have no idea who this psycho is. But, hopefully this is a one off. I suggest that we both go to bed, and hope that your little friend doesn't contact you again – okay?"

"Okay." Lily rose to her feet, yawning as she made the way to the Girls' Dormitories. As she reached the door, she turned to look down at James who was watching her sullenly. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

"No, I'm just going to sit here for a little while." He smiled, and she shrugged. With a flicker of bright hair she disappeared into the room, leaving the boy alone by the fireside.

When she made her way to bed – freshening herself up in the mirror and slipping into a pair of pyjamas – the other girls were still up, talking loudly and giggling. The topic of Sirius Black's abs was never one that intrigued her, so she slipped under the covers without much addition to the conversation. She was just shutting the drapes of her bed, when a flimsy letter fell from the post and landed on her lap.

The same purple seal embellished the rim of the envelope.


End file.
